Saving a Tree

Yesterday afternoon I was called by a distressed resident, a tree was being pruned/ removed and when his neighbour lodged their development application the tree was marked as being retained and not significant. The neighbour thought that the tree was significant and, therefore, not legally allowed to be heavily pruned or removed without Council consent. I called the relevant Council officer and he arrived at the residence. He ascertained that the tree was regulated ( circumference between 2 m and 2.5 m ) and that  a further  report would need to be made by the Council arborist. This will probably mean, in the end, that the tree is professionally pruned and the neighbour is satisfied that the tree will not be removed.
While we were looking at the tree it was obvious that another tree in a different yard  had broken and dead branches hanging above our heads. This tree will also be assessed.
There is a lesson in this for everyone; if you have council consent to remove or prune a tree let your neighbours know what you are doing in advance and everyone will be on the same page. Also seek council advice and approval before doing any significant work on any tree that might be regulated or significant.